AES Student Blog

We've announced some Recording and Design Competition rule changes for the 138th AES Convention in Warsaw. Most importantly, we're only limiting entries to one per category per school, rather than per AES student section (a great benefit for our non-US AES Students). Additionally, there are some new time restrictions on SRC entries, and AES Faculty advisors must approve all entries from their school.

- The Audio Engineering Society Invites YOU to Attend the AES 57th Conference on The Future of Audio Entertainment Technology, taking place in Hollywood, CA, March 6–8, 2015, at the world-famous TCL Chinese 6 Theatres -

Louis Hernandez Jr., Avid Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, will give the keynote speech "Production of Audio for the Future" at the AES 57th International Conference on March 6th at 8:00am

Motion Picture & Television Engineering Personnel and Management, Movie Theater Operators and Technical Staff, Manufacturers (loudspeakers, processors, televisions, computers & associated devices), Movie Studio and TV Station Engineers, Acousticians, Theater Designers, Members of International Standards Organizations, Satellite Transmission Engineers and more – This Is Your Call to Action to Join Us in Setting the Course for the Current and Future State of Our Industry.

Leaders from top entertainment and technology providers including Auro3D, Avid, BBC, Bose, Dolby Labs, DTS, European Broadcast Union (EBU), Harman, NASA, ORF – Australian TV, Sony Pictures, Starz Entertainment, Telos Alliance, and more will be presenting during three days of Papers, Workshops, and Networking Opportunities, as the AES hosts its first-ever Hollywood conference on The Future of Audio Entertainment Technology. Conference Co-Sponsored by SMPTE – the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.

Leaders in Entertainment Audio will focus on how we can meet the challenges of a future with evolving audio formats, while also improving interoperability and reducing production and distribution costs. This conference promises to bring the audio community the advantages of harmonized production formats that our colleagues in picture experience.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Where and what do you study? What audio field are you in? What initiated your passion for audio? When did it start?

My name is Daniel Bennett and I am currently studying Music Engineering at the University of Miami (FL). I was born in Tampa, Florida and raised in Houston, Texas. I took my first clarinet class in 6th grade, taught by Randall Luster. I immediately developed a love for music that has always been central to my life. In high school, I developed a strong interest in engineering and had a hard time deciding whether to go into music or engineering. Eventually, my passion for music and engineering led my career path to music engineering. At the University of Miami, I developed a strong work ethic; I accept only my best and nothing less. My goal is to achieve the impossible by “thinking outside the box” and overcoming barriers and obstacles.

Are you a musician yourself? What instruments do you play and in what musical context?

I am a musician, classically trained, on clarinet. I have been studying music since about the age of 11. I studied music at the University of Houston for 3 years and attribute much of my success to my mentor, Chester Rowell. I then transferred to the University of Miami to study music engineering.

Tell us about the production of your submission. What is the story behind it? What was it inspired by? How long did you work on it? Was it your first entry?

Tony Mendez, graduate student and director of the documentary film “El Mar Y El”, first approached me in the summer of 2014 about working on audio for the film. He told me that this was a short film in regards to the Mariel Exodus from Cuba in 1980. In addition, I was told that would have a three-week deadline to work on all phases of audio postproduction (Dialogue, SFX/Foley, ADR, Mixing). Being a very ambitious individual, I immediately accepted and worked very hard so Mr. Mendez would have a film to submit to various festivals.

I knew coming back to UM as a senior, I wanted to leave my mark by winning gold at AES in a student recording competition. Ironically enough, my initial project fell into the category of modern studio-recording. To my initial disappointment, I was not selected to represent Miami in that category, but I was recommended by a fellow colleague to enter into the sound for visual media category. As strange as it sounds, it didn’t immediately register with me that this was a post-production category, so I thought I’d try to mix my modern studio recording with some online visual material and hope for the best. About two days before the entry deadline, it dawned on me that this was indeed a category that I could show off the work on the summer film I worked on for Tony Mendez. So, I did a complete turnaround on what I was working on and started preparing a clip from “El Mar Y El”. I was blessed in that I achieved my goal of receiving gold, have a great story to pass on out of it, and had the experience of a lifetime.

What was your most significant/funny/inspiring experience as an audio engineer?

I’d say doing my undergrad at UM has probably been the most inspiring experience for me. At Miami, only the best is accepted. You get pushed to your limits on so many different occasions and you just have to press on. I did not want to be someone that my peers or professors ever thought of as an underachiever did not put for his best effort. This has definitely driven my work ethic and creative spirit to achieve more than I ever thought possible.

Accidents happen: What was your biggest mistake in a production and what did you do to redeem the situation?

The biggest mistake I probably made was taking on too many responsibilities in the film “El Mar Y El”. With it being my first real production, I thought I could do everything. I soon discovered that I was somewhat over my head when it came to getting everything done on time. To mitigate the schedule risk, I enlisted the help of one of a fellow music engineer, Nathan Paternoster, and we managed to complete the project on time. Without Nate’s help, the quality of the product would have suffered, and I doubt I would’ve been able to put out as good of product.

What’s your advice for engineers who are just starting out?

The biggest piece of advice I could give is to say don’t be afraid of taking on bigger than life opportunities. Even if you don’t get the position you want, you still get the experience and can build on your failures. When any opportunity comes in front of you, no matter how big or small, take it. You never know where it might lead or what might come from it.

I mainly use Logic Pro X’s Stereo Channel EQ more than any other plugin. I find it to be convenient and necessary in a lot of the work I do. I also enjoy playing around with various compressors, reverbs, etc… My favorite out of those would probably be the Orange Squeezer as it has a “squashing” effect that sounds really good. All in all, I just look for what sounds good and will give me the best product.

Can you name one or multiple of your favourite recordings or productions and tell us why you like them/what you like about them?

One of my favorite recordings comes from James Horner’s “One Last Wish”. I really like this particular recording because it has a warmth and tenderness that reminds me of my home in Houston, and the time I spent at the University of Houston. For me, I don’t look at the science behind the recording; I just look for what sounds good to my ears and makes me feel good. In terms of my favorite musical production, it’d have to be “The Phantom of the Opera”. We all know Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music is well composed, but it’s passion the artists perform with that really lifts this musical above all others for me.

What do you like about the AES? How does it help you to become a better and more successful audio engineer?

Going to AES was worth way more than I anticipated initially. When I got there, I found myself connecting with not only UM alumni, but rather with students from all over the country. I made connections with professionals in the audio industry and had the opportunity to learn from them. My colleagues in the Miami section and myself got together for a dinner and movie during AES. The vast number of connections and knowledge that I received at AES has undoubtedly helped further my career in the audio realm. To anyone who is in music / audio engineering, I strongly recommend they attend the AES once in their undergrad career. Always remember that your education is what you make of it. Do not miss out on the opportunity to attend AES with your peers.

Tell us about your favourite experiences at the 136th AES Convention in Los Angeles!

Without a doubt, my favorite experience was getting to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes at a private screening. Being a movie guy, it was pretty awesome to experience. Besides that, getting to jam with my friends and Will Pirkle, who is one of the coolest people you’ll ever meet, at ChocoChicken was pretty cool. But the highlight of it was reaching my goal of winning gold at AES. I didn’t exactly achieve it through the path I thought I would, but that is why you take every opportunity at your doorstep.

What do you do when you’re not in the studio or doing anything music related?

More often than not, you’ll find me doing something sports related. I’m a huge fan of the Houston Texans, Rockets, Astros, Dynamo, Cougars, and the recently departed Aeros. I’m really hoping the Rockets can pull it out this year and win it all for the H-Town.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In ten years time, I would love to be working for Disney. Disney was in fact the company that inspired me to become a MuE. I have a great appreciation for how Disney is able to bring their stories to life through not only visual material, but aural material as well. Someday I hope to work for Disney, fulfilling a long-held aspiration.

Could you provide us with some closing comments?

I have faced a lot of adversity in my life as most people have. I have found it at school, in my friendships, in my faith, etc… You will always face difficulties in your life. The greatest piece of advice my father ever gave me was “…anything worth having is worth fighting for…” and it holds true. Never give up on your dreams. Fight for what you believe and shoot for your dreams. God is everywhere and will guide you if you let Him. Lastly, I want to say thank you to my family for believing in me and always being proud of me, both in my successes and failures. Thank you to the professors at The U, and UH, for all the time they’ve put into me. Thank you to Chester Rowell, for without him in my life, I certainly would not be where I am today. Lastly, but by far the most important, I thank God for having what I’ve needed in my life at the right times… I hope you found something worthwhile in this blog. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or just want to chat / jam…

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Where and what do you study? What audio field are you in? What initiated your passion for audio? When did it start?

I am a student of Advanced School Of Electrical Engineering from Belgrade, Serbia. I freelance as a film composer, sound designer and music editor. My dad initiated my passion for audio, because he always allowed me to mess around his gramophone and cassette deck, so since I was two years old, I already knew how to change the record and wind the cassette tape by myself.

Are you a musician yourself? What instruments do you play and in what musical context?

Yes I am. I play guitars, bass, everything with a keyboard, and some percussion. When people ask me what instruments do I play, I usually say that I play everything, but not in the right way, because I am a sound designer, so I always look for an interesting way to get a sound out of an instrument. Sometimes I play guitars with drumsticks, or piano with a bow etc…

Tell us about the production of your submission. What is the story behind it? What was it inspired by? How long did you work on it? Was it your first entry?

This was my 4th entry actually. I started competing in 2012 and I was the finalist every time I applied for the competition, which is 4 times in a row for the last two years. This competition entry was a sort of promotion for an animation studio where I work as a composer and sound designer. We are trying to do an animated “Phantom Of The Opera” feature, so the teaser trailer was the perfect way to promote the idea ,and AES in LA and Kickstarter were perfect places where to promote it. All in all, I spent maybe two weeks working on it. One week for music production, and a week for sound design, editing and mixing.

What was your most significant/funny/inspiring experience as an audio engineer?

My most interesting experience was the fighter jet and live weapons test on a military airfield in Belgrade, and they allowed me to record some sounds for my Rome 2013 entry. The funniest one was recording sounds of tigers and monkeys at Belgrade Zoo for my Budapest 2012 entry. The scariest one was recording the graveyard atmosphere after midnight with two police officers guarding me. That was for this competition entry.

Accidents happen: What was your biggest mistake in a production and what did you do to redeem the situation?

Destructive recording in Pro Tools was an interesting thing to do… I kept recording multiple takes for editing, and after I realized the destructive recording option was turned on, so I lost all other previous recordings. There was no way to redeem the situation., just do it all over again with destructive recording turned off.

What’s your advice for engineers who are just starting out?

Be original and creative. That’s the most important thing. It’s good to have role models, but it’s not okay to steal other people’s ideas.

Ooooh that’s like being a kid in a toy store. You can’t pick just one! ?
Okay, outboard gear that I’ll have to pick is a TC Electronic Reverb 4000. Favorite mic is still AKG 414, because it’s just perfect for everything in the studio. For the field recordings it’s Rode NTG5 mic. When it comes to plugins, it’s iZotope Trash 2, Slate Digital VBC, Fab Filter ProQ 2, and SoundToys Echo Boy. I jus don’t work without those.

Can you name one or multiple of your favourite recordings or productions and tell us why you like them/what you like about them?

Hmmmm… Tough one… I’ll say that best film score mixes that I’ve heard so far come from mixing engineer Alan Meyerson who works with composer Hans Zimmer. The two of them are jus a perfect match. Just listen to “Dark Knight” trilogy. When it comes to film sound, anything done by Greg Russell is my favorite. “Transformers” and “Salt”… Perfect.

What do you like about the AES? How does it help you to become a better and more successful audio engineer?

I think the easier answer is what I don’t like about AES haha! ? I don’t like the fact that conventions are only twice a year, I NEED MORE!!!! ? But seriously, what I love about AES it that the society gives me an opportunity to advance my skills and learn new stuff with each convention that I attend. Also, meeting new people and collaborating with some of them is quite a plus for me, being from South-Eastern Europe. The very fact that such a society exists is an awesome thing. I can honestly say that my “career” went up sky high since I joined the AES.

Tell us about your favourite experiences at the 137th AES Convention in Los Angeles!

There was a lot great stuff happening in LA for me. Meeting my heroes Tom Salta and Martin O’Donnell, whose music has a very strong influence on me, was a tremendous moment of joy for me. ? Walking around the exhibitors area together with Mandy Parnell and checking out the new gear, also on the first day of the convention I met EDDIE KRAMER quite accidentally! ? He came over to me to as for directions, so I took him to the hall where his lecture was, and we chatted on the way there. Super cool guy.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Where and what do you study? What audio field are you in? What initiated your passion for audio? When did it start?

I am from Rome, Italy, but I currently reside in Boston, where I am studying Music Production and Engineering at Berklee College Of Music. My passion for audio goes back to a small fisher price cassette recorder with a toy microphone, just a game as a young kid. Then around 14 years old, at Christmas time, we recorded a family version of U2’s “With Or Without You” on my cousin Fostex recorder; I played bass on that, but the machine captured my attention in a important way!

Are you a musician yourself? What instruments do you play and in what musical context?

I am a bass player and I like playing reggae, funk and other groove-oriented music.

Tell us about the production of your submission. What is the story behind it? What was it inspired by? How long did you work on it? Was it your first entry?

Last year at the NYC convention is when I first learnt about the recording competition, and when I found out that nobody from my college had submitted an entry, I thought it was wrong and I put myself into making that happen.

My production started last may in Boston, and exactly the last day I was in town before going back home for the summer! My friend and saxophonist Axel Hachadi asked me to engineer his record and I was suddenly captured by his talent and the outstanding musicianship of the band. We did a 6hours session that day, and right after the last take, I wrapped up and ran to the airport!

I then worked on the mix in between my summer travels, working in the box and on headphones. Finally, coming back to Boston in September I’ve had the chance to sit down in my workstation at home, and I refined the final version and did the edits.

What was your most significant/funny/inspiring experience as an audio engineer?

The most significant experience for me as an audio engineer happened this past summer: with a Tascam Dr-680 and four microphones I took and adventure to Ghana, in West Africa, and recorded traditional folkloric music in a field recording setting. I am still processing all the experiences that came from this trip and the joy of working with those incredibly talented people who connect music with their own lives in a much stronger way than in our occidental society.

Accidents happen: What was your biggest mistake in a production and what did you do to redeem the situation?

I fell in love with the singer I was working with. (Old story, I guess). So I had to tell myself to focus on the work first, and in the most professional way. We finished the song, and of course the love story didn’t work out! (Old story too).

What’s your advice for engineers who are just starting out?

I am starting out myself, so I don’t know that I can give advices to anybody. I think that establishing a trusted and human relationship with whomever you are working with is important, and always putting the music in first place, and not let the engineering be in the way. These are my main point of focus.

I know this might be controversial, but I am a huge fan of dynamic microphones. The Shure SM7b and EV Re20 are on the first place of my black Friday list.

As far as outboard gear, this is where I dream expensive: the TLA-100 chained to the Pulteg EQP-1A in their various combination, is my favorite chain for Bass, Electric Guitar Vocal, horns and just about everything, if I had enough of them ?

Can you name one or multiple of your favourite recordings or productions and tell us why you like them/what you like about them?

I’ll name five, but not in any particular order:

Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire for the roughnes of the sounds, but what a great energy that was captured!

Miles Davis Quintet – Kind Of Blue for making the world Jazz come up in every single listener’s mind

Brotherly – System for stretching the boundaries of home made production

Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball for the vocal production.

Muse- The Resistance because it was tracked in Italy, on beautiful Lake Como

What do you like about the AES? How does it help you to become a better and more successful audio engineer?

AES is where I want to be at. I am only at my second convention, and I am already amazed by all the great things Ive seen, and more importantly the people I’ve met. Everyone there has made history of recorded music. and yet you get to talk to each other as a group of peers or friends who are sharing a common passion.

Tell us about your favourite experiences at the 137th AES Convention in Los Angeles!

My favourite experience about AES Los Angeles was riding on the highway and looking at the California sun on the way to the convention, which made my be sure of what the next step will be, once I will be out of college.
On a more specific note, meeting and chatting for a minute with legendary Bruce Swedeen has definitely been the highlight of my trip. I felt like I had a grandfather in audio engineering and that was precious.

What is your favourite frequency?

60Hz. No Question Asked.

What do you do when you’re not in the studio or doing anything music related?

I am in the “Curva Sud” of the Olympic Stadium in Rome following my favourite soccer team, AS Roma.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I don’t want to know now. Many other great things will happen and I am curious to discover them as I progress. If I had the magic wand, though, I would be in my state-of-the-art studio overlooking the Coloseum, recording some of the best international acts in a unique and breathtaking setting like only Rome can offer.
Now, back to work to make this happen!

Could you provide us with some closing comments?

I just want to say how grateful I am to have been shown the “AES way” early enough in my music production and engineering path. At AES I’ve found some great friends, amazing people and a unique environment that is a powerful resource for learning, networking and building your own carreer. A big part of this is also represented by the Student Delegates Assembly, which I want to thank again for making all of this happen! Until the next one!

From groundbreaking audio consoles to innovative video production systems, Solid State Logic has evolved to become the world’s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles and provider of creative tools for film, audio, video and broadcast professionals.

With more than 3000 SSL-equipped studios and facilities operational today, the excellence of SSL consoles is universally recognised for unrivalled sonic quality, superb ergonomics, outstanding automation and an international support infrastructure second to none.

Founded by Colin Sanders in 1969, SSL has since expanded to its present 15 acre science park in Oxfordshire, England. SSL's unrivalled resources, including R&D, manufacturing, training, service and product support, operate in a unique high technology, customer oriented environment.

The company invents, designs and manufactures technology for the creative manipulation of sound. Users and industry experts from all over the world visit SSL's Oxford HQ to consult with SSL audio experts and evaluate SSL equipment. There are more than 3000 SSL systems in service around the world.

The key to the company's success lies in its products; powerful and innovative proprietary technology is used to create dedicated solutions for the recording and manipulation of sound in highly demanding environments. In conditions where sonic purity cannot be compromised against the inevitable demands of high workloads, and where dauntingly inflexible deadlines are accepted as the norm, SSL equipment is synonymous with reliability and excellence.

SSL have provided one license of their Duende Native Studio Pack to a very happy winner of our Student Recording Competition.

THAT Corporation, founded in 1989, designs and sells high-performance analog integrated circuits for professional audio manufacturers. THAT’s ICs include analog input and output stages, low-noise preamplifiers, and its original line of voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCAs) and RMS-level detectors – all used throughout the pro audio industry. The company also licenses patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property to the TV broadcast and reception industries. Under the dbx-tv® brand name, THAT offers Total Sonics™, Total Surround, and Total Volume™, TV audio enhancement technology and digital (Verilog®) implementations of legacy TV audio receiver standards covering all parts of the world, including BTSC, A2, NICAM, and EIA-J. The company is headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts, with offices in Tokyo, Japan and Milpitas, California.

"Hello, we are Audiofile. We build apps for musicians and engineers, because that’s who we are: musicians and engineers. Founded in 2004, we are among the most experienced audio software developers for OS X and iOS with a long history of industry-firsts to our name. We strive to create beautiful and powerful apps that everyone can afford."

Audiofile Engineering gave donated a generous bundle of their apps to each winner of the Student Recording Competition.

Cycling '74 is a San Francisco-based software development company and music label, specializing in Interactive Media. The company is best known for their work with the digital signal processing software environment Max.

Cycling '74 have kindly provided two licenses of their soon-to-be-released version of Max, Max 7.

Eclipse is a loudspeaker manufacturer based in Japan, selling its renowned products all over the world. Famous users of Eclipse TD speakers include Brian Eno, Jim Anderson, Michael Nyman, John Williams, and many more.

Eclipse have kindly provided a pair of their monitor speakers as a prize for the Student Recording Competition.